


Light A Match To Leave Me Be

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Comfort, Drowning, M/M, Multi, Nightmares, One Shot, Panic Attacks, Sleep, idk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-02
Updated: 2015-08-02
Packaged: 2018-04-12 13:16:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4480649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marco has returned from hospital after Jean saves him from almost drowning. Kind of sequel to I'll Watch You Choke</p>
            </blockquote>





	Light A Match To Leave Me Be

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Livingtobeotaku](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Livingtobeotaku/gifts).



It was happening again – the ocean twisting and turning around them, determined to pull them apart. Marco couldn’t stay afloat; every time he came up for air the water leapt up into his mouth, forcing him to swallow and choke on it as it pulled him under. Jean heard himself scream and jolted upright, panting hard and fighting the imaginary churning currents around him.

Marco had thought the pair of them looked exhausted, and now it was obvious why. Jean’s nightmares had woken the both of them, and Eren had clearly been through it before. He was in Jean’s lap before Marco had registered he was awake, stroking soothing hands through Jean’s hair and down his arms, “Jean, listen to me baby. Listen to me. Can you hear me?” Jean didn’t reply. He was breathing too fast and too hard, and his hands kept reaching out at random. His whole body was trembling and totally out of control – and somehow Eren just sat there, talking to him in a commanding and confident tone, but equally a gentle one. Marco couldn’t stop himself: he panicked.

Jean had his moments of doubt and panic, and that Marco could handle. In fact, he usually handled those moments better than Eren. But Jean had never been like this – the both of them were horrendously heavy sleepers, and completely insufferable in the mornings. And here they were, one in the most literal state of blind panic and the other more awake and animated than he was most Friday nights, and all well before dawn. Marco felt his heart beat loudly in chest, adrenaline surging through his body. He didn’t know what to do, but he wanted to _act._

Quite suddenly Jean snapped, clinging tightly to Eren spluttering out several heavy, wet breaths. Eren latched onto him in return, giving Jean something solid and real to focus on to help shake the nightmare world in which his mind was immersed. Marco watched them, blood pounding in his ears waiting for Eren to say anything but, “talk to me Jean, I need you to say something. Take some deep breaths and talk to me.”

“I- M… Marco-” his words were disjointed and accompanied by a series of desperate gasps, and Marco felt his initial response melt into a bitter mix of fear and worry. Eren pulled away a little, his hands still firmly holding Jean’s shoulders, “he’s right here, Jean. He’s right next to you.” Eren lifted one of Jean’s shaky arms for him and placed his palm in the dead center of Marco’s chest. Jean was silent for a moment, frozen aside from his gaze slowly lifting to meet Marco’s – and then he leapt forward, wrapping himself around Marco, “don’t… scare me… like th-that..”

Jean eventually fell asleep again, his head in Marco’s lap. Eren sat, watching them wordlessly until he saw the questions written on Marco’s face. With a sigh, he planned his explanation, “the doctors say he has something like amnesia – he doesn’t remember pulling you out of the water. He knows that’s what he did, so that’s what he thinks when he’s awake. When he’s sleeping, he’s haunted by the memory of watching you drown. He keeps waking up like this, and all I’ve been told is that it will probably stop over time.” Marco cursed quietly under his breath, running his fingers through Jean’s hair as Eren continued sheepishly, “I probably should have told you sooner, but I hate bringing bad news to a hospital, and I just didn’t have the chance today. I’m sorry.” The older boy shook his head, and moved himself around Jean so he could settle down again, “don’t apologise, Eren. I’m just grateful that we’re both still here.”

**Author's Note:**

> Fob title cos who cares about titles. Written past 1 am, so idk how good this is but hey, it is written. Bbqs for everyone that reads, leaves kudos, and comments xx


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